It's quality of life that's key

THIS WEEK'S TOPIC: How do you personally see the increased prospects of living to 100 and beyond? What would be needed to support a society with a significant number of centenarians?

Chris Burton Managing Director Vistra Singapore and Malaysia

The prospect of living to 100 should be welcomed, provided centenarians can live an enjoyable life with purpose and meaning. Those with families will benefit from seeing new generations of children develop. There will be more opportunities to travel and learn. On the other hand, there will be many who do not have family support or are immobile. Society needs to boost healthcare provision, sponsor more social activities for less physically robust individuals, evolve robot technology solutions for the home, and cities need to reconsider their public transport systems. Business will see increasing proportions of elderly workers as birth rates decline, and the workplace needs to be more flexible, for example allowing workers to take leave of absence to care for elderly relatives.

Dileep Nair Independent Director Thakral Corporation Limited

What's important is to focus on healthy life expectancy - the number of years of living in "full health". Typically, this is eight years less than life expectancy.

The aim should be to reduce the gap to reach the Japanese ideal of pin pin korori ("healthy until you drop dead"). Keeping healthy should be one's personal responsibility through diet and exercise. Government can assist by providing widespread and affordable geriatric medical care. Workwise, the concept of retirement should be overhauled. We should simply work at a different pace as we age, to keep the mind active. Government should take the lead in opening suitable employment opportunities for seniors. Likewise, for financial security, the government should consider topping up seniors' CPF Retirement Account to provide an adequate minimum annuity.

Finally, the Asian taboo against discussing death should be removed to encourage people to have advance care planning conversations with their loved ones on their wishes for future medical care, if incapacitated. As it's said, it's only when you learn to die that you learn to live.

Yeoh Oon Jin Executive Chairman PwC Singapore

Provided that quality of life and good health are maintained, the increased prospect of living to 100 and beyond is very exciting. However, there is too often a focus on physical well-being and this needs to go hand-in-hand with mental well-being too. This is clearly reflected by how the government has also identified mental health as one of the more important problems to solve as we age. Just as clinicians use a multi-disciplinary approach to treat patients, society must do the same.

At PwC, we believe that risks will have to be assessed, sustainable new tax and incentive schemes developed, and the right strategies designed and implemented to address these real problems. To support this, collaborative multi-stakeholder involvement, engagement and management between policymakers, patients, taxpayers and other new players will be key.

Wilf Blackburn CEO Prudential Singapore

As a future with a rising number of centenarians is fast becoming a reality, living well for longer has become inconceivably important.

To make longevity a positive experience, we must reimagine the way we live, work, learn and engage with the community. This means embracing the idea of a multi-stage life cycle and abolishing the traditional school-work-retirement life model mindset. Such a shift requires a multi-faceted effort involving not only the individuals, but also policymakers, businesses and communities.

For the individuals, the cardinal rule to longevity is to continuously upskill, reskill and acquire new knowledge. This is the surest way to insure ourselves from becoming irrelevant.

Manfred Schmoelz President, APAC Assurant

With elderly poverty a key concern in Singapore, it's no wonder that people have concerns about the idea of living to 100. It's important that as a society, we help people plan for the future.

Financial services and insurance providers have an important part to play in this. Products will need to account for shifting age brackets to ensure people aren't being penalised for simply living longer. And new services will need to emerge - for example, programmes to help citizens save for nursing care, or pre-funded final expense solutions - so that people can take control of their finances. If we address these concerns, this should go some of the way to ensuring people are more able to enjoy their golden years.

Victor Mills Chief Executive Singapore International Chamber of Commerce

Personally, I've never been fixated on longevity. I am, however, very focussed on the quality of my life. Whatever our age, we need good mental, physical and financial health to ensure our quality of life. By 2030, over 900,000 Singaporeans will be over the age of 65. It is high time our society ended age discrimination - especially in the workforce. We should judge everyone on their character, skills, competencies and potential rather than their age. Humans of all ages want to be treated with respect, not condescension. Isn't it time to treat others the way we would like to be treated?

Tan Chong Huat Managing Partner RHTLaw Taylor Wessing LLP

The prospect of both parents and their children living in retirement at the same time will fundamentally change expectations of filial responsibility as a result of an increase in dependency ratio. The expected increase in demand for healthcare and social services creates an urgent need for corporate giving to complement government programmes in addressing the issues of an ageing population. On our part, the RHT Rajan Menon Foundation's Successful Ageing Project seeks to educate seniors on issues such as family law, personal wealth and welfare management as they enter their golden years.

We need to set new norms, adopt a new mindset and explore new technology to enhance support mechanisms to meet the future needs of a community of centenarians.

John Bittleston Founder & Chair Terrific Mentors International Pte Ltd

Many people live to over 100 now. They are supported by artificial limbs and valves and by medicines that keep bodily functions working longer. The nature of our personal body restructuring is becoming increasingly sophisticated to the point where we must redefine what is a human. Previously a functioning body, today it is more a functioning mind. Shortly, we will have a human brain in a supercomputer. If that allows us to maintain mental contact with the world around us we will have achieved our first version of immortality. We will require far fewer resources to be maintained. Can you please get a move on?

Erich Gerber General Manager, Asia Pacific and Japan TIBCO Software

Life is for living! With technology taking an increased influence in regeneration and rejuvenation of our bodies, why would our brains not want to direct avatars for the duration of two lifetimes - or more. If souls are supposed to live forever, we may aspire to get the whole package doing the same.

Crispin William Francis CEO R C Business Group

Living to 100 and beyond is an interesting prospect; assuming I am still active in my old age. This, in a way, compensates for the fact that we are having children later in our lives. Living longer enables us to spend more time with family and the grandchildren.

Having worked aboard, I observe that the happiest seniors are those who lived a simple life: chatting, looking after young children, singing and watching TV together in their village. This is something we lack in Singapore perhaps due to tight regulations and space constraints. Perhaps we can make some exceptions for senior citizens.

Snehal Patel CEO and co-founder MyDoc Pte Ltd

Advances in healthcare and a better standard of living have helped increased life expectancy but these factors have not necessarily led to improvements in qualify of life in the later years of a person. Living up to 100 may be quite an achievement, but how we make the additional years worthwhile for senior citizens remains a challenge faced by the healthcare industry.

Healthcare systems around the world are presently under heavy stress. There are high levels of inefficiencies within the system that have the potential to cause the patient to lose out on quality care. There especially needs to be significant reform within aged care, placing the focus back on getting patients healthier faster and enabling them to continue to live independently in their twilight years. In addition, preventive care is needed for younger patients, so that they prolong productive years and do not grow into old age with a variety of afflictions that will prevent them from enjoying the later years of their life.

Martin Nordenstahl Vice-President for Nutrition, Pacific Asia Abbott

Good health and quality of life are important aspects to consider along with the prospect of living to 100 and beyond. The rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases such as heart disease and diabetes impact how a person lives.

Abbott believes in helping people live not just longer, but better, through life-changing technology. Whether it's our Freestyle Libre system that continuously monitors glucose without the need for fingersticks, or our complete and balanced nutritional drink, Ensure, to nourish adults to help them stay active and independent, we strive to bring forward innovations that can support healthy lifestyles at any age.

Maren Schweizer Director Schweizer World Pte Ltd

When Otto von Bismarck launched the first state pension in Europe in the 1880s, only one per cent of the German population lived to collect it after turning 70.

It is considerably harder to resolve the complex financial challenges that come with rising longevity. This can be proactively and well-managed by government programmes and guidance for individual responsibility.

Many elderly feel lonely and are isolated from the fast-changing world.

I see the need for widespread multigenerational living. The benefits are supervision by family members, cost savings as well as cultivating bonds while learning from each other's perspectives.

The risks are filial discord across generations and a lack of personal space.

I suggest agreeing on a family constitution first, as many successful family businesses do. This ensures clarity and transparency. Family members would then know what to do when a disagreement arises.

Gavin Milton-White Vice President, Asia Pacific Enterprise CommScope

Technology and communications play a vital role in supporting an ageing population. As we get older the need for healthcare and a healthy lifestyle increases and the use of technology in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and wearables would empower critical communications and on demand remote health services.

Applications take data from the devices and make it actionable while AI takes input from applications and makes real-time decisions. Data-driven technologies have enabled efficient elderly care; from AI chatbots to remind the elderly on his next medication to applications that enable remote patient monitoring to wearable devices that record health metrics.

Violet Lim CEO & Co-Founder Lunch Actually Group

Personally, I am excited by the prospects of living to 100. I am 38 - which means I have a long way to go. Imagine how many more businesses I can start or how many more thousands of marriages I can create. Of course, in order to do all of these, I would need to have good health, physically and mentally, and financial stability. When people think of centenarians now, they think of people in poor health, being a burden to others or simply waiting for death. As we prepare for a society of centenarians, we need to help them see that it is actually viable for them to live an active, healthy and meaningful life and start creating pathways to make this a reality.

Vikram Natarajan Country Director Pure Group, Singapore

The ageing population and the issue of increased longevity has broad economic implications in Singapore. Addressing the shift towards an older population structure is a large undertaking - and one for which there are many existing policies on elderly health - but this could fail to be sustained unless citizens take their overall health and wellness projections into account from a younger age.

While longer life expectancy is a great health indicator of any country, if we fail to drive the concept of 360-wellness across all aspects of life, deeper sociological issues will not be addressed and the ageing population won't have the tools to take charge of their twilight years. This means as well as talking about inclusivity at the workplace, safeguarded pension benefits, and re-looking at the retirement age, we must empower people to lead balanced lifestyles with a focus on reducing stress, sustained physical activity and mental health awareness. Beyond helping to reduce any stigma attached to old age, a strategy around overall wellness will help people remain mobile, active, healthy and mentally fit.

Charles Stacey President and CEO Cerecin

As populations age, we are seeing a huge increase in brain-related and neurodegenerative diseases. Today in Singapore, an estimated 50,000 people are living with dementia and this number is set to more than double by 2030. At Cerecin, our therapeutics, which include drugs and medical foods (Axona®), are designed to support those living with Alzheimer's Disease by providing the brain with the energy it needs to function. If we are to support a society with a significant number of centenarians, we need to begin focusing on brain health much earlier in our lifetimes. Living to 100 should not be the only goal; living well at age 100 and beyond is key.

Karl Hamann Chief Executive Officer QBE Insurance (Singapore) Pte Ltd

The fact that Singapore has one of the world's highest life expectancies is credit to the right governmental systems and initiatives being in place, in addition to healthy living messaging resonating with people and advances in healthcare. However, we shouldn't become complacent. Just as how healthcare delivery has adapted to societal needs over time, they need continuous improvement, taking advantage of new advancements in technology to ensure healthcare remains accessible. At the same time, continued education on the importance of retirement income will also be critical in supporting not only longer lives, but also better living.

Fabio La Mola Partner and Managing Director L E K Consulting

With breakthroughs in medical and health technology, the elder generation is increasingly able to lead better, more fulfilling lives to the age of 100 and above. Quality of life is key, as underlined by the fact that most people surveyed don't see living to 100 as a good outcome. Beyond financial considerations on how to effectively sustain our elders, there is a need to develop more age-friendly housing, transportation and care services. Greater research and clearer policies are also needed to support the development of pharma, medical devices, healthcare provision and preventive care in order to ensure our elderly can lead purposeful and productive lives to 100 and beyond.

Axel Berkling Executive Vice-President, Asia-Pacific KONE Corporation

Along with mega-trends such as ageing population and rapid urbanisation are advancements in healthcare and nutrition, which has led to an increase in life expectancy. With an increasing elderly population, we envisage the need for services and solutions that are smart, practical and help the elderly people move comfortably within buildings and cities. In a rapidly ageing population, there are more people who are forced to move into assisted living facilities as they cannot use stairs. Specially designed architecture for mobility and accessibility with new service concepts like voice recognition, braille buttons etc, are critical for supporting mobility of the centenarians.

Victor Khoo Managing Director Core Concepts

Longevity is not just about our lifespan; our quality of life is equally important. Beyond being disease-free or having no medical issues, we all want our lives to be filled with fun and happiness. For that to happen, people need to have the agility and mobility to enjoy their lives with friends and family. Physiotherapy contributes to this need by teaching habits and a physical routine that keep our bodies at a high level of functionality. More than boosting bodily health, centenarians can also keep their mind sharp as they undergo a consistent routine with their loved ones.

Raman Singh CEO Mundipharma

Asia is approaching a tipping point - by 2050, the population aged above 65 will far exceed the population under the age of five. As the prospect of living to the age of 100 and above continues to increase, societies are changing fundamentally and we need to adapt to ensure communities "age well". We must harness the power of technology to provide innovative new healthcare solutions in smarter and more efficient ways. In addition, collaboration between the public and private sectors is critical - particularly for improving infrastructure and access to the best medication for all people. Succeeding on these two fronts will help the elderly remain active and engaged in society, and ultimately enjoy a better quality of life.

James Lim EVP and President, Greater Asia Becton Dickinson

The increased prospects of living to 100 and beyond in Singapore presents itself as both a challenge and an opportunity. To support a growing society of centenarians, we will need to put in place measures to actively encourage and support healthy ageing. From community-based support to home-based nursing care, to ecosystems that promote physical, psychological and social well-being, including wellness and nutrition, all are essential contributors to a long and healthy life.

As a global medical technology company, Becton Dickinson truly believes in enabling this eco-system and advancing the world of health. Adopting healthy ageing as our CSR theme, we work towards a community-based approach to recognise and embrace the coming shift in demographics.

Adrit Raha Head of International Vivant

The famous words of Warren Buffett ring truer than ever as prospects for longevity continue to improve with the rise of technology - care for your mind and body like you would for the only car you will ever have. At Vivant, we are excited by the immense potential technology has to revolutionise healthcare. We are already seeing greater efficiencies through the digitisation of health records, remote access to doctor consultations and even condition management programmes - many of which have a positive impact upon the practicality of day-to-day healthcare for the ageing. Continued investment in robust technology, leading medical talents, and the right public-private partnerships will be key to bringing about the synergies needed to empower individuals to manage disease, and engage on their health meaningfully and productively at every life stage.

Vipin Kalra Chief Executive Officer BankBazaar International

The prospect of living up to 100 or beyond may not sound particularly appealing to a lot of people. This is because we often associate old age with more health issues and our financial plan may not have accounted for the additional years of living and medical bills.

However, this need not be the case. By planning our finances well in advance and maintaining sufficient medical and retirement funds through CPF, we can improve the quality of life in our later years. In addition to making healthcare more affordable, strong financial education needs to be a key pillar to support an ageing society.

Bijoy Mohan CEO LIXIL Asia Pacific

I believe that technology and advances in life sciences will ensure that a good proportion of the current population will live to 100 and beyond. Companies will then have the obligation to gear up products and services to enhance what would be most valued - independence and dignity. We expect that LIXIL's experience in providing housing and living solutions to the ageing population in Japan will put us in a good position to fulfil our obligations and deliver this value. The construction industry should shift the focus towards providing adaptable and barrier-free housing and bathroom solutions that make the living space pleasant and comfortable for ultra-senior citizens... only then will we be able to keep our centenarians from hanging out at rough street corners, looking to make trouble!

Abhishek Bhatia CEO, FWD Singapore and Group Chief Officer, New Business Models

With an ageing society and people living longer, Singaporeans have to plan for the long-term cost of their desired lifestyles and the inevitable increase of future medical expenses. It's especially crucial for Singaporeans in the "sandwich generation", who are responsible for caring for both young and ageing dependents.

One of the most effective ways to do this is through insurance, and it's up to insurers to adopt technology to make buying essential insurance direct, quick and easy. With their future assured and their loved ones cared for, Singaporeans can be optimistic about living life to the fullest to 100 and beyond.

Helen Ng CEO General Storage Company Pte Ltd

We should all aspire towards healthy living rather than living to 100. No society at present is able to support a significant number of centenarians without raising the minimum retirement age beyond what is acceptable and without further staining the healthcare infrastructure given the worldwide shortage of qualified healthcare workers. As business owners we can help promote healthy living by giving our employees time off for healthy lifestyle activities and also ensuring that our staff canteens offer healthier choice options. There is no point in living to 100 if one's senior years are plagued with health problems.

Lieu Yew Fatt Managing Director Omron Electronics

As we live longer lives, our aim to reduce mortality should also include securing quality ageing. At Omron, we focus on aiming for "Generation Zero" - a generation with zero heart attacks, strokes and deaths due to cardiovascular disease, the world's biggest killer.

While ambitious, we believe technology has evolved to make this achievable. We can measure blood pressure and glucose levels with clinical accuracy on the go. We use wearable gadgets to track activity levels, sleep patterns, heart rate, and more. Synchronised across networks, they help us remotely care for others, such as the elderly. Soon, predictive technologies will alert us of anomalies and potential adverse events. The key is to leverage this technology to adjust our lifestyles.

Driving public awareness about preventing strokes and heart attacks via health institutions and promotion boards is also pivotal. If we can achieve synergy between education, technology and both public and private sectors, we will be able to support a sustainable and vibrant society with more centenarians.

Sheena Chin Country Director Veritas Storage Singapore

With advances in medical technology and healthcare support, living to 100 is a real possibility. Rising longevity allows us to spend more time with family and friends or pursue our interests. However, with many Singaporeans being unprepared for or worried about possibly living to 100, a multi-pronged effort will be required to support a society with centenarians. The ability of society to keep pace with increased healthcare infrastructure or caregiving needs will help to ensure that Singaporeans will age with ease. For individuals, besides financial well-being, it is important to have a shift in mindset to embrace ageing. This includes adopting a positive attitude to navigate the different stages in life, building a broad social and professional networks to stay engaged and keeping a healthy and active lifestyle.

Jean Drouffe CEO AXA Insurance

As life expectancy continues to rise, we should put more emphasis on the quality of life, rather than the number of years we live. To be prepared for a future of extended longevity, the health and well-being (be it mental, social or financial) of the population should be a priority.

At AXA, we believe in empowering people to live better lives, whether it's by raising awareness of the importance of prevention and early detection of illnesses or ensuring financial security through savings, insurance plans and investments. To encourage Singaporeans to be better prepared financially for their golden years, we recently launched a new savings plan which offers the flexibility of receiving payouts before age 65 as well as the option for guaranteed payouts until age 120. Individuals, communities, organisations, and policymakers have the opportunity to make a positive difference as we prepare for a future with more people living to 100 and beyond.

Annie Yap CEO AYP HR Group

One would usually associate centenarians with strict diets and regular exercise - which may not always hold true. Jeanne Calment smoked for 100 years and still lived until 122. Longevity is an inexact science, and coupled with medical advancements, I believe that living past the century mark is a realistic possibility. Ideally, the government will extend the retirement age so citizens have the option of building up their nest-egg for longer.

As the old adage goes, "failure to prepare is preparing to fail". CPF or pensions alone is insufficient. Corporations can help by sharing with the public on the importance of saving (and investing) and offer services to meet people's financial needs.

Lynette Seah Founder & CEO Alpha7

It's never about the quantity of years of life but the quality. It would be pointless to live to 100 where decreased physical ability and impaired mental dexterity do not enable an enjoyable life.

In societies where basic survival needs are met, life increasingly needs to have meaning and purpose. We evolve as we go through life's various phases; what was necessary when we were 20 may not be as relevant when we are 50. In a world where technology increasingly removes the need for humans, the broader discussion that cannot be summed in 100 words is - what will we do as a society, to find meaning at any age?

Lim Soon Hock Managing Director PLAN-B ICAG Pte Ltd

The trend indicates that there will be more centenarians, with better healthcare and higher standards of living. What they need most is emotional support, over and above financial needs and basic subsistence. Government and society therefore need to intensify our efforts to provide more caregivers, especially to those who have dementia or other chronic ailments. More family members, volunteers and social workers need to be trained and be better prepared to deliver emotional support. I was not trained to take care of my father, who had dementia and passed away at a ripe age of 95, a few years ago. Fortunately, I was able to consult a close friend who is a psychiatrist at IMH, who taught me how to bring cheer to my dad just by holding his hand when talking to him and giving him a gentle hug when I see him. I shared my knowledge with my wife and siblings, who also contributed to taking care of him.

The financial costs of providing care for centenarians and senior citizens will go up. The ratio of tax payers, especially young working adults, to each senior citizen will go up to contribute to this increased costs. The problem is further aggravated by a low fertility rate. Government and society, as well as senior citizens and those who will become retirees, will have to take proactive steps now to lighten this burden, one of which is to "invest" early in caregivers, especially family members. Businesses also have a vital role to play in supporting employees who are caregivers.

Ian Lee CEO, Asia Pacific The Adecco Group

While the prospect of living to 100 and beyond is exciting, it comes with several challenges and will entail sweeping changes to some of our current social norms. One such change that businesses, governments, academia and individuals will have to work towards is ensuring longevity of careers. Individuals will need to be prepared for multi-careers by constantly picking up new skills. Governments will have to update policies around social security, healthcare, work and retirement among many others. Companies will need to rethink and redesign jobs, training and HR policies. Staying active and productive at work for longer correlates to healthy ageing. And we can enable that by providing the flexibility, balance and development at work that longer careers demand.

Jessie Xia Managing Director - Southeast Asia ThoughtWorks

The use of technology has begun and will continue to impact the population in lifestyle, healthcare, and support. Singapore's low birth rate and ageing population have spurred an increase in focus on how technology can play a role in ensuring healthy ageing and the well-being of the elder population. I believe the rollout of new digital initiatives such as tele-health rehabilitation, e-services and even robotic nurses, as part of the country's Smart Nation initiative, will contribute to Singaporeans living longer lives, but more importantly live longer active and fruitful lives where technology can ease the challenges of cumbersome medical care and treatments, giving the elderly the ability to focus on doing the things they enjoy.

Zaheer K Merchant Regional Director (Singapore & Europe) QI Group of Companies

Religiosity and social elements aside, I view being a centenarian with trepidation. We can only hope for a decent quality of life, purposeful existence and meaningfulness. If there is no assurance of this (a given), the concept of "long life" becomes lost.

Societies will need to ensure their senior citizens are not looked upon as a drain of resources or burden upon the family or state. Which calls for : better medical facilities (unless legalised euthanasia prevails); supportive social infrastructure on all aspects from mobility to pursuit of aspirations; strong family and community ties; better financing options or even workplace assistance for those able or needing to work till later in life; and education at all levels to promote buy-in. The positive note is Singapore is preparing for this in a Comprehensive Action Plan for Successful Ageing (www.population.sg). Its successful implementation will be critical as we all age.

Stephen Wang Managing Director, Asia Pacific Talent Plus Pte Ltd

Of the areas Prudential's study identified, "finances" and "work" require prudent preplanning, and "health" issues can be preventative with better systems and self-effort. "Relationships", however, is entirely up to us as individuals at no cost! Medical research has found healthful "social connection" as the most effective means to enhancing life. Benefits of trusting relationships not only trigger stress-reducing hormones but also help sustain marriages and partnerships. Further, data shows that caring relationships promote heart health, gut function, insulin regulation and immune systems. For our part, we can strengthen our ties and bring joy to each other to make longevity an inspiration.

Tan Mui Huat President and CEO, Asia International SOS

The increasing life expectancy in Singapore reflects an ever-growing quality of work and social lives of the people. This has also, however, coincided with the rise in retirement age in Singapore. These two factors have magnified employers' roles towards sustainability and showing a tangible commitment to the protection of their most valuable assets - their employees.

Increasingly, employers are committing to achieving their duty of care responsibility and their sustainability goals. By enhancing workplace health, safety and security practices for their employees at home or abroad, employers can impact their employees' overall quality of life. This will translate into a happier, healthier, and more financially stable workforce as they approach a rising lifespan.

Andrew Chan Founder & CEO ACI HR Solutions

One area I observe is fundamentally a paradigm shift in mindset from hiring mature managers and organisations. Sadly, we're still not seeing a healthy tolerance from employers on an aging workforce and integrating older workers into the workplace. More needs to be done in the form of training, orientating and keeping older workers motivated. But the biggest problem I see is still acceptance and passive discrimination based on age. I think over the next 10 years, how we integrate the older workforce will be most critical.

Nick Waters CEO Dentsu Aegis Network Asia Pacific

It is no surprise that we will continue to witness people living longer and better, as modern science and healthcare are easily accessible now. The key question now is: are we really ready for old age? With the growing sophistication of data at our fingertips, we are seeing a big role for marketing to play in educating and preparing today's consumers to take a whole-of-life approach - from reactive healthcare, to more preventive and proactive lifestyle measures. For example, more beauty, wellness and health products are moving beyond promoting conventional one-size-fits-all treatments, and advocating personalised care through new data technology. This will no doubt empower consumers to take on active roles in their long-term well-being as societies prepare to meet the challenge of increasingly ageing populations.

Dora Hoan Group CEO Best World International Ltd

We are living in an era where medical technology is highly advanced and is constantly evolving and improving. People are now living longer, with life expectancy already going beyond the 80s. I do believe more and more people will live past 100 in the near future. But this increase in life expectancy will be very challenging and taxing with a population that is ageing rapidly and the birth rate remaining low. This will have a profound effect on our economy and society.

To cater for a society with a significant number of centenarians, our government needs to develop more comprehensive action plans that cover the social, emotional, physical and financial needs of the elderly, like:

Toby Koh Group Managing Director Ademco Security Group

It's most certainly a concern if a greater percentage of Singaporeans live to 100 years old. The foremost concern is inevitably the financial aspect. Will Singaporeans have enough savings to have a decent lifestyle till 100? Can our government continue to grow our healthcare sector and how will we finance it? With an ageing population, can our economically able workers become more efficient and productive to compensate? It's a real concern for the country.

On a personal note, living to 100 will be great if I'm healthy, mobile and financially able. As a diehard local boy, I wish to spend my last days here on the island we call home and not have to move to a lower-cost countries to bid my time. I certainly hope I can afford to do so 50 years from now.

David Leong Managing Director PeopleWorldwide Consulting Pte Ltd

Growing old past 100 is a feat achieved from better healthcare infrastructure and affluence. With a growing demographic of older persons, there will be considerable strains on the economy and society.

The government will have to cater to a burgeoning healthcare budget to be funded from taxes. It will have to tax businesses, and the younger populace, more, and increase consumption taxes like GST to meet the growing expenses. There are no two ways around this problem. Centenarians' growth and tax growth will be proportional and in tandem.

Government needs to promote familial values and cohesion to tighten the family nucleus so that each family can take care of its older parents and grandparents.